Gyumri Mayor Vardan Ghukasyan is being transferred to Yerevan by the Anti-Corruption Committee, his lawyer reported.

Earlier, masked security forces conducted a special operation and quickly took Mayor Ghukasyan from the back entrance of the Gyumri City Hall in a vehicle, breaking the glass during the operation. Ghukasyan was reportedly smiling as he was hurried to the car.

Earlier reports by NEWS.am indicated that law enforcement officers had entered the Gyumri City Hall early in the morning. Masked special forces blocked the entry and exit of staff. A crowd of citizens gathered outside the City Hall, with police reinforcements arriving and their numbers steadily increasing.

The situation inside the City Hall was tense as well. Mayor Ghukasyan had been isolated, and armed police were stationed near the doors.

Later, the Anti-Corruption Committee issued a statement noting that eight employees of the City Hall, including Mayor Ghukasyan, had been arrested on charges of bribery. The arrested individuals also include the city’s chief architect, Henrik Gasparyan. The Committee’s statement referenced a wiretapped recording of a conversation between the mayor and the chief architect.